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Britten centenary marked with commemorative coin by Royal Mint

23 September 2013

A 50p coin commissioned by the Royal Mint to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten has been unveiled. The coin, designed by Tom Phillips CBE, will be released on 27 September – in time for the 100th anniversary on 22 November.

The commemorative coin will be available in gold proof, silver proof and uncirculated versions. Britten’s 50p marks the first time a composer has featured on a British coin.

Tom Phillips said: ‘What I wanted the coin to speak of was music. Thus the stave soon entered the design … and his name married well with the stave. The natural accompaniment with Britten’s passion for poetry as our preeminent composer of opera and song, was some kind of key quotation.

‘The words which eventually suggested themselves, come from the Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. What better clarion call for a musical anniversary could there be than “Blow, bugle, blow: set the wild echoes flying”?’